| Lottery Scam is a form of advance fee fraud or | | | | the name is real and is registered it may still just be a |
| money laundering. Every day thousands of false | | | | masquerade. Swindlers may use legitimate names for |
| emails are sent to potential victims. You may be | | | | their fraud activities. |
| tempted to try out if the scam is real, but doing so can | | | | 6. You are being said that "Participants" were selected |
| be dangerous. If you post any of your personal | | | | randomly from any world wide country and the price is |
| information, the scammer may collect it and in some | | | | part of a promotion program. |
| later case will play YOU as his character. There is no | | | | 7. Any request for money to be paid in advance. |
| need telling he will use your name for fraudulent | | | | Usually such requests occur in later replies and not in |
| activities. He may use your personal information to get | | | | the first "winning notification". Any fees that could |
| jobs in your name. He may use it to steal from people | | | | occur would be directly deducted from your actual win |
| and transfer the money into an account with your | | | | or for paying taxes you only do this with the usual |
| name. All your money may be used and gone if a | | | | method by filling the tax form and sending it directly to |
| scammer obtains sensitive information. During the | | | | your government. Foreign government taxes are being |
| procedure of a lottery scam you may lose your | | | | deducted before payout. Such a scam is called an |
| money or your identity could be stolen. Both of them | | | | advance fee fraud. Legitimate lotteries will never ask |
| are equally dangerous. | | | | for money! |
| How to Recognize Lottery Scams? | | | | 8. There is no website or official rules. All lotteries must |
| 1. You received the "winning email" but you have not | | | | be registered and licensed with a gaming commission |
| participated in the contest or bought a ticket. Institutions | | | | or regulator. A regulator may be ministry of finance, |
| can't just randomly pick you if you are not even in their | | | | ministry of economics, national gaming authority... Click |
| database! To win in a contest you firstly had to enter it | | | | here for an example list of regulators in Europe. World |
| by the means that your institution required. In a lottery | | | | Lotteries provides a great list of official government |
| you do that usually with purchasing a ticket but some | | | | lotteries. Check under directory. Also visit North |
| require different means to enter the contest such as | | | | American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries |
| writing a song, making of an item, giving your best idea | | | | if you are interested. |
| on a certain subject... List is endless, however the all of | | | | 9. You are being sent a counterfeit check or money |
| them have one thing in common, you must personally | | | | that needs to be cleaned. Once you receive this |
| participate! It is against the law to make use of your | | | | amount you will be told you need to give some |
| email address without your permission. | | | | amount back or forward it to a bank account/person |
| 2. The country of the lottery does not match your living | | | | because too much was sent. This way you will clean |
| country or you are not citizen of it. | | | | the money. The checks/drafts may be stolen or |
| 3. Without entering the contest in the first place you | | | | counterfeit. Read more in Check Fraud. |
| received an email including your personal information. | | | | 10. You have to travel to another country in order to |
| This email could include your name, address, city and | | | | claim your winnings. If you would travel you would |
| zip code, phone number and maybe even your credit | | | | probably soon recognize there is no prize waiting for |
| card or bank account number! If you did not personally | | | | you or you would meet face to face your scammer |
| enter this information and did not participate in the | | | | which could be potentially dangerous. This "rule" also is |
| contest you may even have been a victim of identity | | | | used to fool you. Rarely someone is willing to travel for |
| fraud! | | | | a supposed prize they know nothing of. Swindlers |
| 4. If you wanted to buy a lottery ticket you did not | | | | know this, so once you say you will not travel they will |
| have to enter your personal information. | | | | make up fees you have to pay to claim your win. |
| 5. You never heard of the lottery company. Even if | | | | |